A New Perspective on Islam in Henrician England: The Polemics of Christopher St. German

Daniel Eppley

Thiel College

Christopher St.German has come to be recognized as one of the more creative thinkers associated with the English Reformation.This essay highlights the manner in which St.German’s creativity is reflected in his polemical use of Islam in controversy with Thomas More.Contemporary Catholic and Protestant polemicists, including More, typically used Islam to emphasize the differences between them, especially by highlighting similarities between Muslims and one’s opponents.St.German, by contrast, used Muslim errors to downplay the division in the English church, supporting his efforts to mitigate the zeal with which heresy was pursued.Also, St.German linked his ecclesiastical reforms to the conquest of Muslim lands, allowing him to enlist crusading zeal in support of his reform agenda.